VISIT FRANCE THIS NOVEMBER

November is an enchanting time to visit France, not least because the long-awaited release of the 2008 Beaujolais Nouveau will take place at midnight on 20 November. It is marked with a series of festivals and special events.

The Beaujolais wine-producing region runs from Lyons to the Basse-Bourgogne (Lower Burgundy). There you will find dozens of picturesque villages and roads lined with vineyards.

Here are details of just a few of the 120 festivals taking place in the Beaujolais region in November:

• Beajeau, the historic capital of the Beaujolais region, has its Samentelles Festival, which begins at 5pm on the day before the wine’s release. It includes an opportunity to taste wine and a torchlit procession. The festivities will continue throughout the weekend.
• Tarare hosts La Fete De La Beaujolais Gourmand, a five-day showcase of gourment food and wine that starts the day before the release and runs throughout the weekend.
• Villefrance will be home to Les Calades, a festival featuring the newly released wine and music.
• Salles-en-Beaujolais will host its annual Nouveau Hike, taking visitors on a tour of the various cellars.
• Lyon, the largest city in the region, will hold its Beaujol’ympiades, marking the release of the wine with music and fireworks followed by two days of wine tasting.
• Although Paris is not in the Beaujolais region, many of its bistros will be celebrating the release of the wine.

Meanwhile, in Dijon, La Foire Gastronomique, the annual international food festival, is also held during the first two weeks of November.

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